Yesterday I had the honor of taking a tour of the Polynesian Cultural Center.  It was actually quite the surprise-- I hadn't gotten ready and was wearing a swimsuit underneath because I was planning on a beach day, but Lexi stopped me in the cafeteria and said, "Hey, if you want to tag along we're going right now."  Had I had a little heads up, I would've brought my real camera instead of just my phone, because this place is absolutely beautiful!  We watched shows and learned about the people of Hawaii, Figi, Tonga, Samoa, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and Tahiti.  From beautiful and passionate songs and dances with elegant costumes and makeup to the hilarious comedy acts involving drums, coconuts and fire, I was absolutely blown away by the pride of all these people.  We taste-tested coconut bread, watched a man scamper up a coconut tree, attempted to learn traditional games and dances {but instead made fools of ourselves} and took a ride on a canoe.  Of course I love America, a land renowned for being a melting pot, but I wish that we had a culture even a fraction as complex as the Pacific Islanders!